Means for winding on spools, wire, cord, yarn, and other materials



2 Sheets-Sheet 2 s. H. RICHARDS ET AL Filed Aug. 20, 1937 Fig. le

MEANS FOR WINDING ON SAPOOLS. WIRE. CORD. YARN. AND OTHER MATERIALS June 2 0, 1939.

Patented June 20, 1939 l UNITED STATES `MEANS FOR WINDING N SPOOLS, WIRE, CORD, YARN, AND OTHER. MATERIALS Samuel Hugh Richards, Harpcnden, and Waldo John Clements, Prescot, England; said Clements assigner to British Insulated Cables Liniited, Prescot, Lancashire, England Application August 20, 1937, Serial No. 160,028

In Great Britain September 5, 1936 d Claims.

This invention relates to the convenient and rapid handling of spools in machines adapted to deal with wire, cord, yarn or other material.

In such machines it is necessa om time t0 time t0 remOv spool from the machine mm by an empty spool, or alternatively to take away an empty spool and replace it by a full spool.

As previously constructed, such an arrangel0 ment has had one of the centres iixed and the other movable axially. In the removal of spools from a machine of this kind by the withdrawal of the movable centre, it has been found that the disengagement of the spool from the fixed centre does not readily take place. The central recess or aperture in that end of the spool hangs on the iixed centre and may require to be levered away therefrom. Similarly when inserting a spool into position in a machine oi vthis kind it may be necessary to assist by the use oi a bar, or otherwise, the movement of the spool into correct position lon the iixed centre. These difilculties are particularly noticeable with heavily loaded-spools.

"The present. invention obviates the necessity for any direct handling oi the spools. It ensures that the rapid and-easy removal and insertion of the, spools can be eilected by a simple operation. This results from providing that both centres are adapted to be moved axially simultane-l ously in opposite directions. For the removal oi a spool both centres are completely withdrawn from the recesses inthe ends of the spool, thus permitting the spool to fall gently on to a support placed a short distance below its running position and to be rolled, on the support surface, away from the centres. Similarly when inserting a spool it can be rolled into position and then the two ends oi the centres can be inserted in o the recess and moved simultaneously so as to lift the spool and complete the mountingof it in the running position.

A convenient embodiment of the invention is' ally and simultaneously adjustable by mechani- Y cal interconnection comprising a .lever 4, and

u connecting rod 5 and another lever i6, the fulcrums of the levers 4 an g gqarrangedfw that the CEMT; 're simultaneously moved axil in opposite directions when the lever 4 is actuated.

The end of the machine at which -no drive is 3 applied to the spool has a sleeve 2a axially slidable in a fixed housing 2b carrying within it by means of bearings 2c a second sleeve 2d withinwhich slides the centre 2 which is in the form of a cylindrical pinwith a tapered outer end. 1 This pin is backed by a helical spring 2e supported by a cap 2f on the end of the inner sleeve 2d. The outer sleeve 2a has a cap or bracket 2a connected with the operating lever 4. by operation of which lever it is moved lbackwards and forwards as required in the housing 2b.

The centre 3 forms the tapered end of'a cylindrical pin which .extends through a sleeve 3a rotatable in bearings 3b in the fixed housing 3C, the rear `.end of the centre 3 being connected to 20 a driving pulley l, and being then extended fur ther to engage a collar 3d which is free to turn relative to the centre 3 and is engaged by the operating lever 6. On the centre 3 is provided driving means comprising a driver 8 and apin 25 9 adapted to enter a suitable aperture provided therefor inthe spool I.

Associated with the housing 2b is a bracket 2h carrying on its outer end a fulcrum for the lever 4. This lever 4 extends jupward to vengage the $0 bracket 2g on the outer sleeve 2G carrying the centre 2 and then .beyond to form a handle 2i at the upper end. 'On this handle 21 is mounted a spring pawl 27' with a releasing lever 2k. 'I'his pawl 2i works in a segmental rack 2l mounted at 35 the upper part of the housing 2b.

'I'he connecting rod 5 engages the lever 4 beneath the fulcrum and passes across below the spool I to engage the lower end of the lever 6'. 'I'his lever 6 is pivoted at its upper end'at 6a 40 above the point at which it engages the collar 3d mounted on the rear end of the centre 3.

The support surface comprises a tray II (Figures'l and 2) which isin turn supported at one end by an adjusting screw I2 adapted to pass 45 through a bridge-piece I3 carried on rods I4. The other (and outer) end of the tray II is' formed with a dip kin the tray runway and is supported by a rod I5 carried in a bracket I6, and has' another adjusting screw I1. 0n a 50 bracket I6 is a guide I6a in which the rod I5 is slidable but is Vclamped in position as desired by av nut I5a; The tray I I is so formed as to limit, the axial movements of a spool.

The purpose o! the helical spring 2e is to Il impart a slight resiliency to the centres 2 and 3 so that they are always held in 4close connection with the central aperture Ia of the spool l, and chattering or jerking is obviated. Although not hown. a spring can also be iitted to the centre In operation, when the handle 2i is grasped, and the spring pawl 2i is released fom`the rack 21 by actuation of the releasing lever 2k, -a continued pull at the handle 2i ot the lever l causes through the action .of the connecting rod I, a similar movement being imparted to the lever C, so that a simultaneous axial movement of the two centres 2 and 3 takes place, and the tapered centres 2 and 3 enter partly intov the ends of the central aperture la of the spools I. Below the centres 2 and 2 is located the tray II so spaced therefrom that when a spool is in-the machine and held between the centres 2 and 2,

`its ahges are clear of the surface of the'tray II,"but come into contact therewith when the centres 2 and 3 are V`withdrawn axially through iiiamandsmggtne spool 1s cornesV in turn supported by the tray.

In the reverse process of placing a spool I in -position it is rolled along the tray II until it stands between the centres 2 and 3 in su'ch a position that the points of the tapered ends of the centres 2 and I can enter the aperture Ia under the action of the levers 4 and 6. By continued operating of the levers 4 -and 6 the centres 2 and 3 are moved towards each other and the action of the tapered ends -gradually lifts the spool clear of the tray II and brings it into the correct position on the axis of rotation. At the same time the pin l slides into the aperture provided for it in the spool I, which has been previously positioned to .receive it, so that there is a positive driving action .between the spool I and the centre 2.

In unwlnding wire from a spool, the driver l and pin 9 could be dispensed with.

The tray Il, when a spool has been rolled alongit until it stands between the centres 2 and I, is adjusted vertically by means of the adjusting screws I2 and II so that the central recess ofaperture Ia is on an axial plane slightly below that of the centres 2 and I, and the tapered ends of 2 and 2 are able gradually either to lift the spool clear of the tray or drop it back thereon. This adjusting means enables the machine to deal with spools of different diameters.

When the working operation has been completed and the spool I has been lowered onto the tray II, it then rolls along this tray away from the centres 2 and 3, and when the spool lis in this position at the end of the tray away from the centres it does not interfere withthe loading into the machine of another spool.

What we claim as our invention is:-

l. Means for rotatably mounting spools in a machine, comprising two tapered centres ar'- ranged in line and adapted to engage central recesses or apertures in the ends of a spool, two

levers, one operatively connected with each o! said centres. a xedpivot for each of said levers,

a connectingV rod joining said levers and an actuating member connected with one of said levers, the whole arranged as means for imparting simultaneous and oppositely directed movements to the said centres. g f

2. Means for rotatably mounting spools in a machine comprising fixed supports, two'tapered centers carried bythe said supports and free to move along a common axis with relation to the said supports, means for supporting a spool in a position in which the common axis of the centers passes through central apertures in the ends thereof but above the-axis of the spool, and a mechanical coupling between said centers arranged as means for imparting simultaneous and oppositely directed axial movements to said centers whereby the spool is moved from one of two positions to another, the said two positions being one in which 4the spool is supported solely by the said centers and one in which the spool is Asupported solely by the said other supporting means therefor.

`*-3.*Means,`ior Vrotatably mounting spools in a machine com5lsingf-flxed`upports, two tapered centers carried by the said"`supports..ani free to move along a common axis with relation tthe said supports which take the weight of the spool, a vertically adjustable tray adapted to support a spool so that the said axis of the centers does not coincide with the axis of the spool but passes through central apertures at, each end thereof above the axis of the spool, and a-mechanical coupling between said centers arranged as means for imparting simultaneous and oppositely directed axial movements to said centers whereby the spool is moved from one of two positions to another, the said two positions being one in which the spool is supported solely by the said centers and one in which the spool is supported by the tray. u

4. Means for rotatably mounting spools in a machine comprising nxed supports, two tapered centers carriedr by the said supports and free to move along a common axis with relation to the said supports which take the weight of the spool, a tray adapted to support a spool so that the said axis of thevcenters does not coincide with the axis oi the spool but passes through central apertures at each end thereoi! above the axis of the spool, means for adjusting said tray vertically at two points to vary the distance between the tray and the saidaxis oi the centers and to vary the slope of the said tray, and a mechanical coupling between said centers arranged as means for imparting simultaneous and oppositely directed axial movements to said centers, whereby the spool is moved from one of two positions to another, the saidA two positions being one in which the spool is supported solely by the said centers and one in which the spool is supported by the tray.

WALDO JOHN CLEMENTS. SAMUEL HUGH RICHARDS. 

